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question-answer couplet

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A rhymed couplet in which the first line poses a direct question and the second provides a concise, often witty or profound answer.

Detailed Definition
A question-answer couplet is a two-line unit where the first line poses a query and the second provides a response, often witty, paradoxical, or revelatory; this compact form distills philosophical or emotional inquiry into a micro-dialogue, leveraging brevity for epigrammatic impact and rhythmic closure.
Example
Example in poetry:
A pair of lines where the first line poses a question and the second line answers it concisely: "Why does the flower bloom? / To catch the sun's soft light."; A two-line unit that mimics a conversational exchange or Socratic dialogue: "Is the road too long? / No, the heart is strong."; "Who goes there? / Friend, and I am armed."; "Will you come with me? / Yes, I will go today."
Additional Notes
question-answer couplet: A two-line unit where the first line poses a question and the second line provides the direct answer or a pointed commentary on the question.
Also Known As
Dialogic couplet question-response couplet interrogative pairing Call-response couplet
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